Barely after rescuers had begun searching for bodies under Florida International University’s collapsed pedestrian bridge on March 15, Gov. Rick Scott’s administration had begun its own political rescue mission.

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) issued a “preliminary fact sheet” absolving the state of any blame.

The release twice stated that the bridge was not an FDOT project. The project’s principals, the agency said, “are all under contract with FIU.”

The release claimed that the state played only a minor role. All post-installation testing “was the responsibility of the FIU design build team.”

When Scott came to Miami on that Thursday night, he joined the choir.

“It's not an FDOT project,” the governor said. “It's an FIU project.”

Miami Herald reporting

Based on reporting by Mary Ellen Klas of The Miami Herald, however, the state’s self-absolution was preliminary. Klas revealed that FDOT was on the committee that approved the project team of MCM and FIGG Bridge Group.

FDOT helped to choose the consulting firm that oversaw construction, to ensure that the bridge was built safely. FDOT officials attended regular meetings related to the bridge and helped to pick its design and location.

FDOT consulted on key details. In addition, the morning of the collapse the state’s project director attended a meeting with the design engineer on the bridge’s progress.

Another “fact” in the FDOT release is at issue. The state claimed that the company FIGG hired to review the concrete construction did not have the required prequalification. Two days later, however, FIU officials showed documentation that the firm, Louis Berger, had been qualified for the work. According to the Herald, FDOT has not explained that seeming discrepancy.

“Experts who have worked closely with FDOT for years,” the Herald story read, “say that although the early narrative shows state transportation officials may not have had a role in the engineering decisions for the project, or the daily inspections, their oversight role was significant and involved many layers of oversight.”

FIU’s statement

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Florida International University President Mark Rosenberg told the Herald: “We’ve had a good relationship with FDOT. I just want to make it clear. So we’re anxious to find out more about what they think we didn’t do. Because they’ve been involved at every step.”

You can see why Scott and his people are worried.

Last September, it was 12 dead residents at a Hollywood nursing home after Hurricane Irma. The governor had made a point of giving his private cellphone number to such facilities, but the nursing home said its calls went unanswered.

Last month, it was 14 dead students and three dead staff members at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Broward County. Though Scott immediately blamed the FBI for failing to follow up on a warning about gunman Nikolas Cruz, the Florida Department of Children and Families also had contact with Cruz and didn’t intervene.

And now it’s six dead people because of the FIU bridge collapse.

Like those nursing home deaths and like the Stoneman Douglas High shooting, the bridge collapse was preventable.

It’s not just an FIU investigation. It’s an FDOT investigation.

The Naples Daily News on occasion provides viewpoints of editorial boards from major media organizations across the U.S. The opinions expressed may or may not reflect those of the Daily News editorial board.